Oil spill detection using satellite based SAR - Experience from a field experiment

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing; (United States)

OSTI ID:6311687

Bern, T I; Wahl, T; Andersen, T; Olsen, R ^[1]

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1. Marine Spill Response Corp., Washington, DC (United States) Michigan Environmental Research Inst., Ann Arbor (United States)

During the commissioning phase of the ERS-1, C-band, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images were obtained regularly over international waters for a range of operational, real-time uses. Among other capabilities, SAR is expected to be able to detect oil slicks on the sea surface. A project was defined with the aim of developing and demonstrating a system for early oil spill detection using satellite based SAR. During the Dedicated Oil Spill Experiment August 1991 (DOSE-91) three slicks, each 20 metric tons of stabilized crude oil, were released in phase with the passages of the ERS-1 satellite. The experiment included sea truthing, oil slick tracking using drifting buoys, and aircraft surveillance using various remote sensing techniques to compare and verify satellite observations. This paper presents the observations gathered during the experiment with emphasis on the SAR imagery of oil slicks under certain environmental conditions. Image enhancements techniques used to process the imagery are also discussed. 7 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6311687
• Journal Information: Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing; (United States), Journal Name: Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing; (United States) Vol. 59:3; ISSN PERSDV; ISSN 0099-1112
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AERIAL MONITORING
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
DATA ANALYSIS
ECOSYSTEMS
IMAGE PROCESSING
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
OIL SPILLS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RADAR
RANGE FINDERS
REMOTE SENSING
SYNTHETIC-APERTURE RADAR